1. Field of the Invention
The scope of the present invention ms containers that can hold a propellant charge and more particularly, containers used for large calibre or tank artillery.
In order to adjust firing range, it is frequently necessary to modify the amount of powder which is used to launch a projectile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Appreciably cylindrical modular containers made from combustible material have already been designed (see, for example, WO8601584). Because of their rigidity, such containers are easier to use than traditional powder bags.
In order to reduce the amount of space taken up by ammunition inside armoured vehicles, it may also be necessary to divide it up into two separate parts, one carrying the main propulsive charge and the other the projectile and any secondary charge (see for example, British patent GB2136929).
State-of-the-art two-part containers or ammunition are made from combustible materials which are also usually non-conducting materials.
Currently, the fuses carried by projectiles are either programmed outside the weapon or in the feeding chutes and in all situations some time prior to firing.
In order to carry out or modify the programming of a fuse carried by the projectile, or charge a capacitor carried by this, it would be useful to be able to establish an electrical connection between the weapon and the projectile.
However, division of the ammunition into two parts which are usually fully combustible does not allow an electrical connection between the part carrying the projectile and the weapon to be directly and reliably established.
In the particular case in which both containers contain a propulsive charge, the problem of igniting these two charges also arises. In fact, in order to achieve homogeneous ignition and good reproducibility of internal ballistic characteristics, the charge must be ignited more or less immediately along its entire length. Thus, it is traditional practice to use ignition tubes (for example, see French patent FR7606456) for cartridge ammunition. However, such ignition tubes cannot be used with a charge comprising several parts.
WO8601584 proposes a container made from combustible material comprising an axial channel which is bounded by annular compacted ignition materials.
After several of such containers have been stacked, the axial channel has the role of an ignition tube for the whole charge. A single igniter arranged at one end of the channel ensures that there is instantaneous ignition of all of the annular compacted materials.
However, this type of arrangement does have disadvantages. For example, for very long charges (more than 5 calibres long), the igniter is unable to ensure that there is instantaneous ignition of all of the charge. Further, the pressure regime created is not uniform and the ballistic performance is poor and not very reproducible.